Publisher's Synopsis
If you, dear reader, are an entrepreneur, you have our admiration. It is not easy being one. It is necessary to have a proper understanding of the environment and of the customers' needs, to know your competitors, to ensure a reliable operation, to take care of the finances, and to observe a number of government regulations. Companies, either very small or very large ones, are systems comprised of material resources, information and people that interact among themselves in order to achieve goals. They are complex, given the amount of elements and connections between them and with the environment. On the other hand, progress in the areas of telecommunications and transportation contributes to a greater integration of the world. In consequence, the difficulty to understand it and to decide how to perform within it, increases constantly. Finally, China and India are following the path along which Japan and South Korea, among others, passed through decades ago. What should be done in this context? Is it possible that small and medium businesses (SMB) can survive? Can they continue being the country's greatest job creators? In our job with SMB, we have found that most times, their failure is due to internal and not external causes. The increase in the environment's complexity and foreign competition contribute to the amplification of the negative consequences of the mistakes made, but they are not the underlying problem. The statements in the preceding paragraphs are good news indeed, even though they can sometimes be interpreted as negative facts. They are telling us that in most cases, success or failure depends on the company itself, and not on factors beyond its control. It is possible, then, to survive and grow in the international context envisaged for this century. Although many of the concepts that will be presented in this book have proven to be very effective for companies of every size, the main goal of this book is to contribute to ensure the survival, development and growth of SMB. Our current way of thinking and acting is the result of the exchange of ideas and experiences shared with friends, entrepreneurs and distinguished authors. Angel Baguer Alcala, with whom we worked during the years we were living in Spain, and Eliyahu Goldratt, with whom we have interacted several times, have had a significant influence on us. Dear reader, we would be delighted to receive your comments on how did this book helped you improve the performance of your business!
